A twenty-three-year-old Chimaobi Sylvester has told the police in Lagos that he kidnapped his master’s son because of his boss’ refusal to pay him his ‘settlement money’ after allegedly serving him for four years.

The suspect, who was paraded at the command headquarters in Ikeja yesterday said after the fourth year he was sent away by his boss without any benefit.

According to him: “I have worked as a sales boy and apprentice, but after spending four years, when it was time for him to settle me, he asked me to go back to the village to do something else.”

“After I had spent two months in the village, I came back to Lagos to kidnap my boss’ son.”Sylvester said because he had lived with his boss, he knew when he was not always at home, saying “I banked on that with one of my friends, Emmanuel Blessing 20, and went to his house last week Thursday and lured his eight-year-old son and took him away.

“I took the boy to the apartment given to me by the hotel management, where I worked at Oyingbo area, and locked him up. Blessing then contacted my boss and informed him that his son had been kidnapped and we demanded for N5 million ransom.

“After the victim’s father had agreed to pay the N5 million ransom, I went to the bank with a friend to perfect my Automated Teller Machine card to withdraw the money not knowing that anti-kidnapping policemen were around. I was arrested with my friend.”

The state police boss, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, advised businessmen, who bring young boys to work or learn a trade to fulfill their promises to the boys and their parents to avoid ‘bad blood’. He, however said, the suspects would be charged to court at the completion of investigation.

Meanwhile, a community vigilance group aborted what would have been a big catch for a six-man gang of suspected kidnappers in Esit Eket Local Council of Akwa Ibom State at the weekend, when a former Speaker, Mr. Bassey Essien, was rescued from the hands of the hoodlums

Family sources told The Guardian in Uyo that unknown gunmen kidnapped tEssien on his way to the farm in Etebi, Esit Eket, but was rescued by the gallantry efforts of youths and policemen from the area.

“The gunmen blocked his vehicle and dragged him out. They forced him into their own vehicle and headed towards neighboring Udung Uwe community in Urueffong Uroko Local Council but unfortunately their vehicle broke down and they mobilised motorcycle and continued their journey amidst heavy rainfall .Again, the motorcycle had flat tyres.”

The abductors, unable to continue the journey into their forest hideout, decided to hide in the thick forest around the community. By this time, information of the kidnap had filtered into the community.

OdesanyaThe death has been announced of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Francis Mobolaji Odesanya

According to a Press Statement signed by Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh O. Moshood, obtained by Demoadefa’s Blog, Odesanya died on 31st January 2017 after a brief illness at Sterling Hospital Ahmedabad-Gujarat in India.

He was 56.

The late Commissioner of Police was enlisted into the Force on the 1st February, 1986 as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police and rose through the rank. He served as Deputy Commissioner of Police Department of Operations and that of Finance and Administration in Rivers State before he was promoted and posted as Commissioner of Police Rivers State Police Command on the 20th July, 2016, the position he held until his death.

The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, expressed his and the police management team’s condolence to the Odesanya Family in Ikenne, Ogun State on the sad incident.

Two person have been killed in an attempt to bomb a congregation worshippers inside a Mosque in Dalori, a community on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Borno state.

The attack which occurred at 5:40am on Tuesday killed a suspected child suicide bomber and a male security guard who prevented the killer from gaining access into the mosque.

“When the security guard overpowered the child suicide bomber, he detonated the bomb,” one of the worshippers told the media.

The authorities are yet to make a statement on the incident but emergency security response teams such as National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) were deployed in the area.

The army says Boko Haram insurgents flushed out of the Sambisa forest after camp zero fell were trying to be relevant, hence its recent attack around the north-east.

Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, monday disclosed that former Vice President, Abubakar Atiku;Director-General of Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Lawal Daura, others plotted his ouster from the Nigeria Police in 2002.

The monarch also said it was possible for them to convince former President Olusegun Obasanjo to summarily retire him from the Nigeria Police because the Police Service Commission (PSC) “is a toothless bull-dog.”

He revealed this at a stakeholders’ meeting held in Victoria Island, Lagos, describing his retirement from the force as conspiracy by chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to win 2003 elections in Lagos.

At the meeting, the monarch lamented the state of the Nigeria Police, which he said, was crippled by the previous military regimes, especially from 1984 to 1999 and outright neglect by the successive administrations.

He said he “was a victim of that circumstance. Then Atiku, Daura and others sat down and advised President Obasanjo that if he wanted to win Lagos in 2003, I should be removed. It was written on paper.”

The monarch therefore, defended the former president, whom he said, argued that he “did not know anything about it. He had to send for the Inspector-General of Police (IG) because the then Chief of Staff challenged the plan to retire me.

“For someone to sit at the PSC and determine who retires from the police is unfair. This is not how to run a very efficient and effective police force,” Akiolu lamented.

He condemned the manner former IG Mr. Tafa Balogun, was humiliated out of office, saying Alhaji Gambo “is still bitter because he wanted Balogun to disclose what the PDP wanted him to do in 2003.

“All the money they alleged Balogun was possessing was contributed by some serving governors then. So, the PSC is a toothless bulldog. I have asked the officers who took the federal government to court to withdraw the suit and go and claim their benefits.”

Akiolu narrated what he encountered in 1984 when he was serving as the head of the police strike force, lamenting that it was the military that killed the efficiency and performance of the Nigeria Police.

Unlike in the past, the monarch said President Muhammadu Buhari “is willing and prepared to assist the Nigerian police,” thus urging him to work with open minded people who would give the IG free hand to run the Nigeria Police.

He said: “We are clamouring for community policing at the moment. But I must tell you that it requires dedication, funds and men who are prepared to work. The reason for police barracks collapsing was that

“The federal government needs to release funds to rehabilitate the barracks in order for the Divisional Police Officers and others top police officers to live within the community they have been assigned to work.”

Some of the rifles
The Federal Operations Unit , Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service , has intercepted a container loaded with 49 boxes of 661 pump – action rifles along the Mile 2 Apapa Road of Lagos State .

The 40 – foot container , which was cleared at the Lagos port , was intercepted by Customs officials who were on patrol .

The officials were said to have discovered that although the manifest said the container had “ steel doors and other merchandise goods , ” boxes of the weapons were concealed deep in the container .

Our correspondent was told that the rifles, tagged , ‘ JOJEFF made in Italy , ’ could take up to 10 cartridges and could wreak a lot of havoc .

The Comptroller – General of Customs , Col . Hameed Ali (retd . ) , during a press conference on Monday at the FOU , Zone A, Ikeja , said the container came from China , but was routed through Turkey to “ cause confusion . ”

He said the suspects were undergoing interrogations at the agency ’ s office and would not be paraded until their culpability was established .

He said , “ On Sunday , January 22 , 2017 , the roving team of the NCS , Federal Operations Unit, while on information patrol intercepted a Mack truck with number plate , BDG 265 XG, conveying a one by 40 – foot container with number: PONU /825914 / 3 along Mile 2 Apapa Road.

“ The truck was immediately taken to the premises of FOU Zone A, Ikeja , where physical examination revealed 49 boxes containing a total of 661 pieces of pump action rifles concealed with steel doors and other merchandise goods . In the declaration of the items in the container , the importer concealed the weapons and declared them as still doors .

“ These rifles are under absolute prohibition ; therefore , their importation is illegal . The importation and transaction of pump – action is totally against the law of this nation.

“ Such a deadly contravention of the law is even more unacceptable considering the fragile security situation in some parts of the country. We have kidnappers and armed robbers and there is insurgency , it is more intense . There are also the cattle rustlers, who are also using the same weapon . So , they are deadly . ”

Ali explained that investigations had commenced into how the truck escaped the vigilance of Customs officers at the port, adding that all officers involved in the clearance were in detention .

He noted that the importer , exporter , escort , officials of the agency and others, would be prosecuted at the end of investigations.

Ali called for vigilance among residents, saying it was important that people shared information with security agencies on the movement of suspicious items .

He said , “ One of the important roles we play is the security of Nigerians . And the only way we can do this is to ensure that things like this don ’ t get into the country . Where they find their way in , we must ensure the importers don ’ t enjoy the illegality . This is why our men are all over the place.

“ However , we need the assistance of the public because these things do happen. Imagine if this truck had escaped and had been offloaded by some people. They will be transferred and if we don ’ t get information , there is no way we can apprehend them. In the end, you and I will be affected by this . It could fall into the hand of an armed robber or a kidnapper and there will be problem .

“ This is why the security network of this country must involve everybody . We must ensure we give the prerequisite information . Without information , we won ’ t be able to do anything . This happened because we got information and our men acted promptly . ”

Ali described the seizure as one of the biggest feats the agency had recorded in 2017 , promising to reward the officials who carried out the operation .

While fielding questions from journalists , Ali admitted that there were problems with the nation’ s scanners at the borders .

He said most of the scanners were faulty , adding that the agency was working towards resolving the problem .

He said , “ We have problems with the scanners . Most of the scanners are not working . We realised that while a few of them can be repaired , majority are bad . And I need not tell you that paucity of funds has been part of the problems . But you will start seeing changes as we are working hard to resolve the problem . ”
Source: The Punch

Lagos State governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, has approved the appointment of three new permanent secretaries in the Public Service.

Acting Head of Service, Mrs. Folasade Adesoye, made this known on Monday in a statement.

The newly appointed permanent secretaries, she said include Engr. Temidayo O. Erinle who will now oversee the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure; Mrs. Adetutu Abiola Liadi for the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and Dr. (Mrs.) Atinuke Muyinat Onayiga, Primary Healthcare Board.

Mrs Adesoye, while wishing the new permanent secretaries a successful tenure, noted that the appointments were with immediate effect.
Source: Tribune